Troubled grandchild scam costs Peachtree City grandmother $49,000

There is no shortage of scams, with thieves trying to take money from the unsuspecting. One of those occurred in Peachtree City earlier this week, with a grandmother handing over $49,000 in cash after being told by someone pretending to be in law enforcement that her grandson faced criminal charges.

The scam, which occurred over a three-day period, began with a woman receiving a phone call from someone pretending to be her grandson, said Peachtree City Police Department spokesman Chris Hyatt.

The “grandson” told the woman he was in law enforcement custody over a criminal matter, Hyatt explained.

Hyatt said the phone was soon handed to a man pretending to be a member of law enforcement, who advised the grandmother that her grandson was being held in a secure facility and faced serious legal trouble, adding that there was a gag order on his case.

The grandmother was told the matter could be resolved if she provided the funds to cover a number of expenses involved with the case, such as fees and bonds.

The fake “officer” instructed the grandmother to go to her bank and withdraw a large sum of cash and return home. A “courier” subsequently arrived at her home and picked up the cash, said Hyatt.

Unfortunately, that is not where the story ended. Hyatt said the grandmother received two more calls over the following two days, with the “officer” instructing her to repeat the process, which she did, Hyatt said.

In total, the unsuspecting grandmother handed over a total of $49,000 to the scammers, Hyatt added.

Hyatt urged citizens to be aware of people wanting cash or gift cards, and those wanting banking or credit and debit card information, either over the phone or in person.

Hyatt stressed that no law enforcement officer would ever operate in such a manner or be involved in a deceptive practice.

Over the years, The Citizen has reported on numerous scams designed to take money from unsuspecting people. Those people are usually the elderly.